1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an automatic musical performance device which is suitably used for the practice by an amateur. More particularly, the present invention relates to an automatic musical performance device which enables tempo control of automatic performance irrespective of the tempo of manual performance.
2. Prior Art
A number of automatic musical performance devices have been known and proposed. In the conventional type of automatic musical performance devices proposed so far, the pitch data and the note length data for each note in progression of a series of notes are stored in a memory unit, and based on the pitch and note length data read out successively from the memory unit, a musical tone is produced or the key-press position is indicated.
In the automatic musical performance devices of the above-mentioned type, it has already been proposed to control the tempo of automatic performance by following up the tempo of manual performance by the key-press operation on the keyboard.
In accordance with the conventional tempo follow control system, however, the tempo of automatic performance is controlled in such a fashion as to always follow up the tempo of manual performance and it has not been possible to arbitrarily return it to a reference or standard tempo. The tempo, however, is desirable to be rapidly returned to the reference tempo depending upon contents of music and such a need frequently occurs especially in an interlude or a short movement during a musical composition. In the conventional tempo follow control system, however, the tempo of automatic performance can not be returned to the reference tempo unless the tempo of manual performance is carried out by the reference tempo, and such a tempo change can be made only slowly but not rapidly.